QLFC Round 6. Reserve Beater 2 for the Ballycastle Bats. Prompt: BEATER 2: Write about a light character committing the sin of PRIDE or a dark character demonstrating the virtue of HUMILITY.

Wordcount: 961

Thanks to Zero (ilprincipino) for betaing :)

Gilderoy Lockhart met her during one of his book signings at Flourish and Blotts. It would have been rather hard to miss her, though, when he saw her through the crowd with her lime green lengthened fingernails, crocodile-skin purse, and cherry-red lipstick.

She just pushed through the line that already went out the door and shoved herself right next to Lockhart himself.

"How may I help you, miss?" Gilderoy asked with a wink. "I'm afraid you'll have to go to the back of the line this one time; I have hundreds of fans waiting for my autograph too," he said, laughing.

The woman raised her prettily waxed eyebrows and ignored everything he had just said to her.

"I'm Rita Skeeter, from the Daily Prophet, and I'm going to write an article on you that the fans will gobble up," she said.

Gilderoy flashed her another one of his immaculate grins with shining white teeth. The fans in the line behind the two of them practically melted in a sigh.

"Well, Miss Skeeter, I'm sure you can find plenty of amazing information on me," he said, winking again. "Where would you like to start? How about my adventures that I wrote about in Break with the Banshees? Or how about my travels in Year with the Yeti? Or maybe about how I was able to put together my fabulous memoir, Magical Me?"

Rita had already eagerly pulled out a fancy notebook and a quill that looked suspiciously like a Quick-Quotes Quill. Of course, the fact that she was using a Quick-Quotes Quill would have no effect on him, since everything about him that he tells to the public is fabulous and flattering and can't be twisted around to show him in a negative light.

Already, the quill was scribbling away at the page, although Gilderoy was unable to confirm what had jotted down already.

"Mr. Lockhart, how were you able to go on so many heroic adventures? You've saved so many lives in such a short time." Rita adjusted her glasses with a devilish smile.

Lockhart allowed himself a wide smile again, which conveniently set off the witches and wizards (although mainly witches) in line behind the two of them with more oohs and aahs.

"Well, I find myself to be of a very heroic type, don't you think?" he started off, giving another wink to the crowd. "I tend to travel a lot, and I have a rather good eye for spotting things in trouble. So, naturally, like any respectable hero would do, I rush in and save everybody's lives. It's thanks to all my fans, though, that word of my amazing work gets out into the public. Here's a shout-out to all of those heroes who don't have as many awesome fans as I do, although the shout-out is most specifically for me, the amazing hero!"

Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill was having an excellent workout, and she was excitedly nodding her head throughout the whole thing. "Oh, that sounds absolutely delightful! When did you most feel like a hero on your travels? Which adventure of yours had the most meaning to you?"

Her question made Gilderoy pause unnaturally for a second. He himself hadn't ever felt heroic truly, having stolen the stories of heroes. Quick, I have to make something up…

"I believe the time I felt most heroic was when I was traveling with those trolls. Something just struck me, and I just realized how much I've done for the people... how much I've helped everybody. It was truly meaningful to me. And at the same time, I realized how many lives I have been unable to save at them same time…" He trailed off for dramatic effect.

Gilderoy was a master at manipulating his words to get his desired effect on the audience. Every word was calculated, and yet to everybody besides him, he seemed so real and genuine.

Rita snapped her notebook closed and put it back into her purse with the Quick-Quotes Quill. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Lockhart."

As she exited the bookstore, a place she would likely never visit again, a mob of people starting swarming upon Lockhart again.

The Daily Prophet

Lockhart Never Ceases to Touch Fans' Hearts

Last week, my trusty quill and I set out to find new, juicy gossip about Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart at his book signing last Thursday. However, as much as I tried, I could not find anything awful about the renowned Lockhart. He is heartfelt when talking about his adventures as a hero, and always had the crowd captivated by his charming smile.

He has done so many amazing things to help save lives and rescue people, and he talks about it so sensitively.

Some rare critics of Mr. Lockhart say he is too proud of what he has done, and that he shares it too often. But I disagree with them. Mr. Lockhart is a kind person at heart, and word of his achievements have just spread more than normal.

As he said to me in our interview, "Here's a shout-out to all of those heroes who don't have as many awesome fans as I do, although the shout-out is most specifically for me, the amazing hero!" He even acknowledges that there are other heroes like him that sadly don't have as many fans to spread the word about their heroic deeds.

As well, Mr. Lockhart told me, "And at the same time, I realized how many lives I have been unable to save at them same time…" He recognized that while he is one of the most amazing heroes ever, he isn't one hundred percent perfect; only ninety-nine point nine percent perfect.

Plus, what witch can resist his absolutely dazzling smile?

Rita Skeeter, signing out.